This Means War!
This Means War!
“ For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[a] a slave to the law of sin.”
Romans 7:22-25 NIV
We can all relate to that fierce battle described in Romans 7. We love God. We’d do anything for Christ who died and rose for us. We really do want to obey God’s Word and do His will. But there’s another force at work in us, isn’t there? It’s our human nature. Our mind tells us one thing, but our body tells us another. My body says I’m not hungry, but my mind says it sure tastes good. My body says “I’ve had enough,” but my desire says “I need just a few more bites of that cheesecake.” My spirit says, “Read the Word!” by my eyes say “I’m sleepy. It’s time for bed.” It’s a battle!
I don’t need to tell you that there’s a war being fought, but it’s fought in small daily battles. There’s a winner in each skirmish, and the one who wins most will eventually gain the victory. If the Spirit controls the body most of the time, we’ll lead Godly lives and reap eternal rewards. If we allow our human nature to control our actions more often, we’ll lose. Our lives will end in destruction, and the enemy will have gained the victory.
But wait. Before you start waving your white flag, you need to remember that we’re not fighting with ordinary weapons. Paul wrote this in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Your weapons are mighty weapons, my friend. They’re prayer, faith, praise, trust, steadfastness, and long-suffering. They’re reading the Word of God and believing His promises. You’re part of God’s mighty army! He’s the great General, and the victory has already been won at the cross of Christ. He’s waiting for you to enlist and to enjoy the victory with Him. Now stop your
sniveling, determine to let the Holy Spirit rule your body, pick up your spiritual weapons, and get out there and win one for Christ!
Thanks for reading Pastor Dale’s Mid-Week Encouragement. If you’re a regular attender or member of the Mt. Laurel Church of God, please consider reading Luke 19:28-40 to get ready to hear God’s message through him this coming Sunday, April 13, 2025.
Called to pray for you, teach you and encourage you in your faith,
Pastor Dale
Pastor Dale (PD) and Pamela his wife are honored to serve the Mt. Laurel Church of God. If this Mid-Week Encouragement has helped you, perhaps it may encourage someone else. Feel free to share this message with anyone you choose. And if you'd like to receive PD's Mid-Week Encouragement, just send an email to (kingdomguy@gmail.com) and I'll accommodate your request.
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